With the surge in popularity of retro-styled hot rods, a lot of guys are building brand-new cars to look as if they are original, from-back-in-the-day hotties, complete with faux patina paint and intentional wear and tear. Then there are the legit old-timers, such as George Antoline's '34 Ford coupe. Talk about a hidden treasure. George's car is a flattie coupe with a good chop, built like they used to do it: all rough-cut and stick-welded with a heavily louvered decklid and channeled ready for the dry lakes. The car looks like it's going 200 mph sitting still.

George is a masterful scrounger. When he's not minding his automotive shop in Squim, Washington, he builds hot rods and supports his habit by horse-trading parts. The guy has been to more car shows and swap meets than anyone we know. One day his old pal Rich Aigner calls from California and says he is closing up his speed shop - retiring after 30 years in business.

George decides to help him out and labors long, digging through vintage parts in 100-degree heat, packing some and selling the rest. But in the back corner, under some dusty boxes next to a '58 Impala, slept an old, dry lakes '34 Ford adorned with all the classic speed parts of the era, including a blown flathead with aluminum Edelbrock heads, a Moon fuel tank, and a Halibrand quick-change. Built for seat-o'-the-pants racing by a regular guy on a budget, the Ford was special to Rich, and he was reluctant to sell it. He didn't want the car to become another street rod and demanded that it carry on its dry lakes lineage. Only after George promised to pull the coupe to Bonneville and run it through tech inspection did they strike a deal.

The gem already has a shortened grille, sectioned heavily to accommodate the deep channel - the rusted bad boy is in the weeds. The framerails are nonexistent to the eyes, so the channel job has to be 5 or 6 inches. Cutting the top, they bolted pieces of flat iron onto the wood, and that's all that's holding it together. Crude, yes, but it works.

In the early days, the SCTA did not even have classes for coupes, and only the Russetta Timing Association acknowledged the less popular tin tops. As speeds rose, the importance of aerodynamics became apparent. Profoundly chopped and channeled coupes proved the point.

When he saw the car, Ron Tesinsky, Bonneville racer and owner of Westside Kustoms, exclaimed, "This is the real thing. In the '60s, I did some cars like this. We didn't have magazines to look at, or if we did, we couldn't afford to buy them. I did a '37 Willys and a '33 Dodge three-window, and they were all done like this...rough! I drove the car and never even boxed the frame in the coupe, and (when) you would stand on the throttle, one front wheel would come clean off the ground because the engine would just twist in the frame. That's the way we drove it. We didn't have front brakes. We didn't even have a starter in it. You had to park on a hill and coast to get it started. Oh yeah, we just did crazy stuff back then."

Originally this dry lakes coupe was built with four Stromberg 97s atop a Sharp intake manifold. Later, an Arrow blower was installed in hopes of making more horsepower. Up front, it is easy to see the shortened framerails and relocated crossmember. Welding in the handmade tube offered mounting points for the Moon tank. The old firewall was cut out to move the engine into what looks like a 25 percent setback.

And check out the old-school bomber seat, no doubt bought at salvage prices. Judging from the serial number, it was manufactured in 1953 by the Aircraftsmen Co. Painted primer gray over the olive drab, the lightweight seat offers absolutely no adjustment; somehow the aluminum fits precisely to your back and is actually quite supportive. The deep lip design along the base of the seat is where airmen sat on their own parachutes. Put your eyeballs on that big old hole in the sheetmetal for a giant tach. Someone was in the process of doing work here when the car was finally covered up. And it's got the old-style drivetrain with a stock '34 trans with Zephyr gears and a Halibrand quick-change for a proven combo that puts this coupe's power to the ground.

Details on the car's real history are still a little sketchy since Rich is a recluse and not all that open to detailed conversation. We do know that the '34 last ran at the dry lakes and on the Salt in the early '70s and was then stuck in the shop and mothballed until George rescued it.

George made good on his promise and trailered the coupe to Speed Week in 2005. It really drew a crowd in the pits where it rested patiently until Wednesday when the officials had free time to give it the once-over. Their list of modifications was surprisingly short, mostly safety updates and of course some much needed repairs, which George is working on now, getting the car ready for Speed Week this year...hopefully.

The Ford is ripe for an SCTA vintage category, and the rule book clearly states this class is intended for lovers of antique iron. Although fiberglass and aluminum bodies are allowed, they must be exact replicas. No modifications are permitted to the body from the firewall back and the beltline down. Only limited modifications are allowed to the hood and top. Extremely popular, this category runs the gamut from stock street roadsters and vintage gas coupes to the slightly modified highboys and vintage altered coupes.

Most hot rodders would go insane if they found an original car like this, so our advice is to start looking. You can try eBay or swap meets, but for best results, go to the source. Think of your quest as an adult version of hide-and-seek. There are a lot of guys out there who have spent a lifetime accumulating cars and parts - stashing their booty in old garages, metal sheds, or storage units that are now ready for new owners. Open your eyes and really start searching because treasures want to be found.